New Skills, Better Jobs: Report Reveals the Positive Impact of Hinkley Point C
- More than 8,000 people have been trained in Hinkley Point C’s new Centres of Excellence
- Almost one third of those being trained today are from the most deprived areas of Britain
- 1,320 apprentices have been trained so far
- The area around Hinkley Point C has seen a 25% growth in younger people aged 25-39
- Productivity in the local town of Bridgwater is now 10% higher than surrounding towns
New figures published in Hinkley Point C’s 2024 Socio-Economic Impact Report reveal the power of green investment to improve the lives and prospects of people and businesses locally, across Somerset and beyond. The full report and case studies can be found here.
The report shows that construction of the new nuclear power station at Hinkley Point C is helping thousands of people to get new skills and higher paid jobs. The project is boosting the local economy and helping it beat the national trend of low growth, poor productivity and limited social mobility.
Figures show that almost a third of those trained in Hinkley Point C’s new “Centres of Excellence” for welding, electrical, mechanical and construction skills come from officially deprived areas1. The Centres, operated by the project’s key partner for skills, Bridgwater & Taunton College, are training workers for the next phase of the project and are part of a £24 million project investment into education and skills.
Most of the 8,000 trained come from across the South-West of England and South Wales from places ranging from Minehead and Burnham-On-Sea to Port-Talbot and Pontypridd2. The centres will offer 30,000 places over their lifetimes, including 4,500 places in the next 12 months. The project has also trained 1,320 apprentices so far in a wide range of skills including hospitality, accountancy, project management and surveying.
Hinkley Point C is a catalyst for long-term growth, leaving a legacy of a more skilled and productive workforce, that gives Somerset’s economy a competitive edge. The station itself will provide 900 permanent jobs for at least 60 years. The Sedgemoor area is seeing a growth in the number of small and medium sized companies that is ten times higher than anywhere else in the South West with ten new companies employing 250-500 people since 20113. £5.3 billion has now been spent directly with businesses across the region. Bridgwater’s productivity is now 10% higher than the surrounding towns4.
1 More than 8,000 trained includes the 7,885 trained in the Centres of Excellence (Welding, Mechanical, Electrical and Construction Skills) and 1,307 currently in training. Deprivation defined by UK Government Indices of Multiple Deprivation – Source: English indices of deprivation 2019: mapping resources - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
2 7,885 trained already, 1,300 in training now
3 Source: UK business; activity, size and location - Office for National Statistics (ons.gov.uk)
4 Source: UK GVA and productivity estimates for other geographies – ONS
Figure 1. Above: Mapping shows the home location of those being trained from across Britain. The greatest number are from Somerset and South Wales. (Map based on a design by Understanding Data created in QGIS using Royal Mail post code data provided by EDF)
The project is also providing an opportunity for young people to stay and thrive in West Somerset and Sedgemoor, an area with a history of low social mobility and an ageing population. There has been a 25% growth in younger age groups (25-39) in the Sedgemoor since the project began .
Hinkley Point C’s Managing Director, Stuart Crooks said:
As a former apprentice, I know that giving people the chance to learn new skills can change lives and communities for the better This report shows that our big investment in Net Zero nuclear electricity is playing a vital role in tackling problems of low growth, poor productivity and inequality. Our investment is a one-hundred-year commitment to the area. I am pleased that we are making a difference and I am determined that our social impact will endure for many years to come.
Energy Security Secretary, Claire Coutinho said:
Hinkley Point C will not only bring clean, reliable power to 6 million homes across the UK but it is also levelling up the South West. Thousands of young people from the most deprived areas are being given well paid jobs helping to deliver UK energy independence.
We have announced the biggest expansion of nuclear power in 70 years, from starting construction at Sizewell C in East Anglia, to acquiring new sites in North Wales and Gloucestershire, and we hope to see similar levels of investment and productivity in communities across the country.
Andy Berry, Principle and CEO of Bridgwater & Taunton College said:
Through our partnership with Hinkley Point C, we are immensely proud to be providing a regional and national solution for the skills to achieve Net Zero.
We are committed to providing accessible, high-quality education that accommodates diverse needs and abilities and a culture of inclusivity and opportunity. Together with Hinkley Point C, we are not only transforming the lives of individuals by preparing them for outstanding future careers, but also driving regional prosperity and positioning the South West and the UK as a leader in the global nuclear sector.
Cllr Ros Wyke, Lead Member for Economic Development, Planning and Assets, Somerset Council, said:
Since inception, the project has put significant efforts into the skills and employment of local people and has created a supply chain that has given Somerset and South West companies opportunities for growth and development into new areas. Year on year, the annual report shows us the value the project is bringing to our local and national economy.
Emma Rawlings, Chief Executive of Somerset Chamber of Commerce said:
Somerset Chamber of Commerce has been working with the team at HPC for over a decade to ensure local people and businesses benefit from the many opportunities the project offers. Businesses consistently tell us they are facing a shortage of people with the right skills for the job – HPC is helping to bridge the skills gap and helping to keep future generations of workers in Somerset by offering them training, job opportunities and highly-skilled roles.
Evie Holdsworth, 17, Bridgwater
Geospatial Surveying Apprentice
Keen to kick start her career and start earning as soon as possible after school, Evie joined the project at the age of 16. She’s now six months into her apprenticeship with the MEH Alliance, the contractor installing equipment, pipes and cables across the site.
Starting so soon after school meant that I didn’t get the 6-week summer holiday – but it was totally worth it! I’ve been working closely with the project’s surveyors on the construction site and now I’m being given more responsibility to carry out measurements by myself which feels great. Getting an apprenticeship locally also means I can continue living at home, which is a big bonus. I’d like to get a job on the construction site when I qualify, and then I’d like to move on to other infrastructure projects – either here in the UK or abroad. It has really opened doors for me.
High resolution image download click here.
Callum Organ, 22, Bridgwater
Supported Traineeship
The supported traineeship is a 10-week programme helps young adults with additional needs, such as autism, get their first step on the job ladder. Each candidate is provided with training before undertaking work experience on the project, which leads to an interview. Callum, who has high functioning autism, was undertaking work experience in a local cafe but wanted a paid job. After successfully completing Hinkley Point C’s Supported Traineeship in 2023 he has a full-time role on site.
I was nervous at first, especially when it came to catching the bus, but everyone in my team was friendly and supportive. I enjoyed being given a tour of the building site, getting health and safety training and learning how to work in the PPE stores. My instructors were nice and helped me prepare for my interview, and I was offered the job permanently. I am proud of myself and so is my family. People should apply for the programme – it's really helped me.
High resolution image download click here.
Daniel Bosisto, 27, Cardiff
Steel fixing apprentice
Since opening in 2015 with a £1.5 million investment from Hinkley Point C the Construction Skills and Innovation Centre replicates a construction site and provides training in skilled work such as steel fixing and crane supervision. Training programmes are delivered in association with Hinkley Point C’s contractors, with students later securing jobs on site or with local businesses.
“I worked for McDonalds before enrolling on my apprenticeship. I’ve gone from flipping burgers to learning how to build parts of a nuclear power station! Part of my training is being done in the Construction Skills and Innovation Centre at Bridgwater & Taunton College. It’s so realistic – with everything like plant, machinery and equipment. We learn different techniques from instructors and are prepared for life out on the construction site."
High resolution image download click here.
About EDF
EDF is helping Britain achieve Net Zero by leading the transition to a cleaner, low emission, electric future and tackling climate change. It is the UK’s largest producer of low-carbon electricity(1) and supplies millions of customers with electricity and gas.
It generates low carbon electricity from five nuclear power stations and more than thirty onshore wind farms and two offshore wind farms.
EDF is leading the UK's nuclear renaissance with the construction of a new nuclear power station at Hinkley Point C, and there are advanced plans for a replica at Sizewell C in Suffolk. Hinkley Point C and Sizewell C will provide low carbon electricity to meet 14% of UK demand and power around 12 million homes.
EDF is one of the UK’s largest investors in renewables, with more than 1.5GW of renewable generation in operation and almost 14GW in planning and development across a range of technologies including onshore and offshore wind, solar and battery storage. We are constructing our largest offshore wind farm in Britain – the 450 MW Neart na Gaoithe project in Scotland.
EDF is helping its customers, both in business and at home, take their first steps to sustainably powering their lives. Whether it is buying an electric car, generating and storing electricity, selling energy back to the grid or installing a heat pump. EDF is one of the largest suppliers to British business and a leading supplier of innovative energy solutions that are helping businesses become more energy independent. In addition, the company’s energy services business, Dalkia, is one of the largest technical service providers in the UK and Ireland.
EDF is part of EDF Group, the world’s biggest electricity generator. In the UK, the company employs around 14,000 people at locations across England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland.
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